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Vermont, Cuba sign historic
deal for cows
By Bruce Edwards Rutland
Herald. Barre
Montpelier Times Argus, VT, November
2, 2004.
Cuban Pedro Alvarez,
left, head of the Cuban state food company
'Alimport' and John Park Wright of J.P.
Wright and Company in Naples, Fla., are
seen during the signing of an agreement
on cattle shipping Monday in Havana, Cuba.
HAVANA - It's a done deal.
Vermont on Monday signed a historic contract
to sell Cuba 100 cows to help rebuild that
country's dairy herd.
The signing took place at a press conference
- just one day before the U.S. presidential
election - kicking off the opening of the
12th annual Havana International Trade Fair.
Dr. Gerardo Quaassdorff of the Brattleboro-based
Holstein Association signed on behalf of
Vermont. John Parke Wright IV, a Florida
cattle dealer and broker who helped negotiate
the deal, was a signatory as was Pedro Alvarez,
chairman and CEO of Alimport, the Cuban
government import agency.
Also on hand to witness the signing was
Ramon Castro, the oldest brother of President
Fidel Castro.
The contract signing before a crowd of
international press at the Alimport pavilion
at ExpoCuba, a sprawling complex of exhibition
halls and pavilions, had its political overtones.
Both Alvarez and Wright, whose families'
business ties to Cuba date back to the 1800s,
called for an end to the 40-year-old U.S.
trade embargo and travel restrictions. Currently
the only exception to the embargo is food
and agricultural products and medical supplies.
Wright put the embargo in human terms,
saying governments shouldn't put an embargo
on friendship.
Wright also said while the sale of the
Vermont cows was not a big order, it was
significant in other ways.
"This is not a big contract in terms
of the financial amount," he said.
"However, it has a gigantic impact
on the welfare of ranchers and farmers in
Cuba and ranchers and farmers in the United
States."
Quaassdorff said Cuba was getting the best
of the best.
"We're also happy to have the opportunity
to export to Cuba fine quality cattle, the
best cattle in the world," said Quaassdorff,
a native of South America, who made his
comments in Spanish.
He added that the Vermont cows can produce
an average 9,000 to 10,000 liters of milk
each year.
The only remaining obstacle to the deal
is obtaining U.S. visas so Cuban officials
can select and inspect the cows before shipment,
which is expected in the first quarter of
next year.
Prior to the signing, Quaassdorff declined
to say how much Cuba was paying for the
Vermont cows. However, an earlier estimate
put the price at $1,200 to $1,600 each.
The important thing, he emphasized, was
that Monday's signing could lead to future
sales.
The sale of the 100 registered heifers
- 50 Holsteins and 50 Jerseys - was the
culmination of a April trade mission to
Cuba by Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie.
Vermont Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr
followed that up with his own trip in September.
He came away with agreements for Cuba to
buy not only heifers but apples and powdered
milk with a total value of $7 million.
Kerr is scheduled to arrive in Havana on
Wednesday to continue negotiating contracts
for the apples and dry milk. However, the
dry milk sale has encountered some obstacles,
he said recently.
Lest there be any doubt where Cuba's sympathies
lie in today's election, Ramon Castro indicated
that his country has had enough of the Bush
administration - which has tightened sanctions
against the communist regime for its human
rights record.
"I don't know John Kerry personally,
but he looks like he has better feelings
(toward Cuba) than Bush," the 80-year-old
Castro said.
Contact Bruce Edwards
at bruce.edwards@rutlandherald.com.
© 2004
Times Argus
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